The tat man

Those of you as old as (or perhaps a tiny bit younger) me will remember the 'Rag & Bone Man'. For those of you who don't he was a guy who used to arrive in your street in a battered van/small truck & shout out something like "Rages & old bones, Rags & old bones..." Then magically people would flock to where he'd parked the van clutching piles of old clothes. The majority of people were children who'd crowd around his van to see what cheap goodies he had on offer in return for their unwanted clothes.

OK, so once in a while I took clothes from the ironing basket or from the washing line but believe me it was worth me committing what I knew was a 'Mortal Sin'. Why so?? Well, in return for rags you you could get a balloon on a stick, a cheap plastic toy (that usually broke within 3 minutes) a balsa wood glider plane or... a goldfish in a plastic bag!!

Sadly the Rag & Bone Man is no more. However we have his modern day equivalent-The Tat man. He drives around twice daily either sounding a trumpet looking for any scrap metal-washing machines, fridges, old bikes, metal buckets etc etc. He then takes them to the scrap yard & gets cash for them.
The other day I successfully haggled for a new fridge/freezer & left the old one outside on the street waiting for the City Council (yes....) to remove it. BUT: withing 20 minutes the thing had gone!! Taken by the Tat Man!1 Wonderful!! This is what I call recycling par excellence!
Bring em on baby!!
I would like a balsa wood glider plane though....